Steel roof for freight-cars.



W. E. SYMONS.

' STEEL ROOF FOB FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14. I910.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

7 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR S i7Z07Z6',

ATTORNEY W. E. SYMONS.

STEEL ROOF FOR FREIGHT CARS.

ISHEETS-SHEET 31 Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

nk N 3 Wm APPLICATION FILED SEPT 14. 1910 WITNESSES ATTORNEY x W. E. SYMONS.

STEEL ROOF FOR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATlON' FILED SEPT. 14. IQIO.

1,157,339. 7 Paten eg g 3g 1 915 o W6 g Q1; o

ATTORN EY W. E. SYMONS.

STEEL ROOF FOR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 191.0.

' WITNESSES ATTORN EY W. E. SYMONS.

STEEL ROOF FOR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.-l4, 1910.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

7 SHEETSSHEET 6.

ATTO R N EY WITNESSES 544; 1

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

Patented Oct. 19

. rllllllhllll 1 1!! W. E. SYMONS.

STEEL ROOF FOR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14. 1910.

ATTORNEY aiY fi syfiwyw INVENTOR WITN ESSES sources is reduced to a minimum,

. Chicago, in the county 'end portions of the car UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

WILSON E. SYMONS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEEL noor ron FREIGHT-CARS.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILSON E. SYMONS, a citizen of the United of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedia new and useful Steel'Roof for Freight-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The-invention relates to a steel roof for freight cars.

The object'of the present invention is to improve the freight cars, and toprovide a rigid water tight car roof of simple, efficient and comparatively inexpensiveconstruction, capable of obtaining suflicient support from the employment of a few carlines, and adapted to .dispense with ridge pole purlins and a number of other features of old car roofs. A, further object of the invention is to provide a metallic car roof of this character, adapted to yield to the expansion and contraction due to variations in temperature, and capable also of yielding to torsional strains, vlbrations and movements of a car body, whereby injury to the-roof from such and the durability or life of the car roof is materially increased.

Furthermore, the invention has for its object to provide a car roof, equipped at the with doors, so that grain, coal or other commodities can be loaded through the roof and over the trucks, thereby not only facilitating'the loading of freight cars and the proper distribution of the load, but also obviating the necessity of l loaded into the car, or shooting the material within the scope of. 7

sorted to without departing from the spirit into the'car with sufficient force to inj ure the? same.

. iththese and other objects in view, the invention consists in, the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor described, illustrated in detalls of construction, the claims, may be re,-

or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. I

" In the drawings :Figure 1is a perspec tive view of a'freight car, equipped with a steel car roof, constructed in. accordance States, residing at .tudinally construction of roofs for ning boards,

' joint different forms with this invention and illustrating the PatentedOct.19,1915.

' Application filed September 14, 1910. Serial No. 582,083.

manner of loading the car through the roof.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the roof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view, taken longiof the roof through one of the doors thereof. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectionalview, also taken longitudinally of I the car and illustrating the arrangement of the adjacent endsof the sections of the roof and the running boards. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail plan yiew of the door opening frame and the door guides. Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional View of the runillustrating the manner of supporting the same. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail sectional view, one of the running boardsupports. Fig. 9 is a detail \perspective view of one of the running board supports, the nailing block or piece being removed.

larged detail sectional view of one of the side edges of the roof, illustrating the manner of securmg the same to a car body. Fig.

11 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the expansion joint. Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of one end of the expansion joint, the latter being equipped with an outside cap. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of a portion of the car, showing one end of the expansion joint. Fig. 14 is a similar view, the expansion joint being equipped with an inside cap. Fig. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of one end of the expansion shown in Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a detail perspective view of the slide door. Figs. 17 and 18 are detail views of the combined lock and water shield. Fig. 19 is an enlarged detail sectionalview, illustrating the manner of securing the carline to the sides of the car. Fig. 20 is a detail perspective'view of one of the carline supporting brackets. Fig. 21 is an enlarged detail plan view of the central longitudinal lap joint and the expansion joint. Figs. 22 to 24 inclusive are detail sectional views, illustrating of up joints and carlines. Figs. 25 and 26 are detailviews, showing different forms o'f lapjoints.

Like numerals of reference designate'corresponding parts in all the figures of the enlarged drawings.

' In the embodiment'of" the invention 111115.

- trated in the accompanying drawings,'z the steel bar roof is'composed-of two halves or taken transversely of Fig. 10 is an enand connected by a metallic welt strip 12 and sections 1 and 2, connected at their adjacent transverse edges by an expansion joint 3, but for automobiles, furniture, or other extra long cars, the roof may be made in three or more sections, connected together by extension oints, which permit the metallic roof to expand and contract through changes in temperature, and also to yield to the torsional strains, vibrations and movements of the car body, whereby injury to the roof is prevented.'

Each section of the roof is preferably composed of sheets of steel of a size to extend from the side of a car body 4 to the center a strip or layer 13 of tar paper, or other suitable weather proofing material is interposed between the welt strip and the edges of the roof sheets to provide a water tight joint or connection. The members of the joint 11 are secured to the laterally extending flanges of the T 10 by rivets 14, which pierce the carline 10, the roof sheets, the metallic welt strip, and the weather proofing strip.

The central longitudinal butt joint 6 is provided with a welt strip 15, and it has a weather proofing strip 16 of tar paper, or other suitable material interposed between the Welt strip and the adjacent longitudinal edges of the roof sheets. The members of the joint are secured together by rivets 17, which pierce the roof sheets, the weather proofing sheet and the welt strip, as clearly shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings. When the sides of the roof slant from the center to the sides of the car, the welt strip will have a slight angular bend at the center to form a ridge, as shown.

In applying the roof to the body of the car, the section 1 is first placed in position and the side and end edges are hammered down over the upper edges of the fascia strip with a wooden mallet to avoid bruising or otherwise injuring the sheet steel, and the downwardlybent marginal edges 18 are secured to the fascia strip by suitable fastening devices. The sideedges of the roof are preferably provided with longitudinal slbts 19, which receive nails 20, or other suitable fastening. devices, and permit contraction and expansion of the roof in alongitudinal direction. The slots are covered by narrow roof, which is first placed in position and which is secured by rivets 25, or other suitable fastening devices to the carline 8.

"The hollow rib, which is formed integral with the other section 2 of the roof, is pro-- vided at the top with a central straight or flattened portion 26, located above the flange 22 and being of a width to permit the necessary movement of the parts during the expansion and contraction of the joint. The members of the expansion joint have relative slidable movement, an the arched hollow ,rib and the flange effectually exclude m0isture and provide a water tight joint.

Instead of ,forming the hollow archedrib integral with one of the sections of the roof, both sections of the roof may be provided with vertical flanges 22 and the arched rib may consist of a separate strip 26*, secured to one of the roof sections and extending over both of the upright flanges, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 25 of the drawings. Also the expansion joint may consist of two arched ribs 26 and 26, aS clearly illustrated in Fig. 26 of the drawings. The arched members of the joint overlap each other, and the inner arched member or rib 26 is of a width lessthan the outer member or rib 26 so that the parts or members of the joint are permitted a relative slidable movement. The ends of the expansion joints are covered by caps 27, adapted to prevent rain from beating in and entering the car and consisting of a vertical attaching flange or portion 28 and an arched top portion, conforming to the configuration of and fitting over the rib 23, as clearly shown inIFigs. 12 and 13. The vertical attaching portion is secured by nails 29, or other suitable fastening devices to the fascia strip. The vertical attaching portion of the cap may be fastened to one of the'sections of the roof instead of to the side of the car if desired. Instead, however, of arranging thecaps exteriorly 0f the rib 23, inside caps 30 may be employed. The

inside caps 30 are constructedsimilar to the caps 27, and the arched or transversely curved top portion fits within and conforms to the configuration of the rib of the expan-- sion joint. The rib of the expansion joint is provided at its ends with a depending approximately U-shaped flange 31, which fits against the outer face of the vertical attaching portion of thecap. The top portion of the cap extends over the vertical flange of.

terial being interposed'between the arched portion 32 and the hollow rib of the expansion joint. The carline 8, which consists of metal channels, extends entirely across the car from one side to the other, and is provided with depending legs 33, supported by and interlocked with brackets 34. The legs are formed by bending the terminals of the carlines downward, and they are fitted against the side plates of the car body. The carline supporting brackets are approximately U-shaped in horizontal section, and each is provided with an upper interlocking portion 35--to fit within the channel carline 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 19 of'the drawings, and it has a horizontal supporting ledge 36 upon which the leg 33 of the carline rests.

The side flanges 37 of the upper interlocking portion 35 of the bracket are arranged in the samevertical plane as and form continuations of the side flanges 38 of the bottom attaching portion of the bracket, and the side portions of the supporting shoulder 36 consist of exterior ribs 39, while the front of the interlocking upper portion of the bracket is inwardly off-set from the plane of the lower portion to form the front portion of the supporting shoulder 36. The bracket is-secured to the side of the car by means of upper and lower bolts 40 and 41, the lower bolt pierces the lower attaching portion of the bracket and extends through the siding or sheathing, while the upper bolt 40 pierces both the upper attaching portion of the bracket and the leg 33 of the carline and extends through the side plate, the

sheathing or siding, and the fascia strip of the car body. However, it will be readily understood that the improved roof may be applied with equal facility to car bodies of various structures, and the upper and lower 5 bolts will extend through the side of the car body at the points where they pierce the bracket. 'The legs of the carline are maintained in their interlocked relation With the supporting brackets, and are'securely fastened to the sides of the car by the upper bolts 40. The carlines may, as shown in Figs. 22 to 24 inclusive, consist of channels, angles, Ts, and when angles or Ts are employed the supporting, brackets will be modified to conform to the configuration of the same.

The roof is eguipped with running boards 42, composed 0 sections correspondlng substantially to the roof sections and having &

their adjacent ends located in close proximity to the expansion joint, as clearly illus trated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The running boards which may be made of a single piece or of two ormore sections, aremounted upon transverse supports, consisting of oblong metallic shells 43, open at the top to receive nailing blocks or pieces 44 and composed of side and end walls and a bottom 44*, and provided with terminal attaching flanges 45, which are riveted or otherwise secured to the roof sections. The sides and. ends are provided at the bottom with recesses or openings 46 and 47, and the nailing block' or piece44 is secured within the me tallic shell or casing upon the bottom there of by transverse fastening devices 48 which may consist of nails, as illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The side openings or recesses 46 are arranged at the center and end portions of the hollow shell, and the central recesses enable the support to span the central butt joint of the roof plates.

The bottom 44 is composed of bottom portions connecting the shell between the recesses or openings 46. The lower edges of the metallic shell are oppositely inclined to conform to the configuration of the inclined side portions of the roof. The nailing blocks or pieces 44 present horizontal upper supporting faces to the running boards 42, which are secured to the blocks or pieces 44 by nails 49, or other suitable fastening devices. Although three strips or supports 42 are shown, a single running board of the required width may of course be employed. The adjacent ends 50 and 51 of the sections of the running boards are arranged upon a transverse support 52, constructed similar to the support heretofore described,but having an increased width to permit the limited movement of the sections of the running board. The ends 50 of one section of the running boards are fixed to the support by nails, or other suitable fastening means, and the terminal portions 51 of the other section of the running boards are free to slide upon the support 52. The ends 50 are connected with the roof section 2, which is provided with the hollowrib that is loosely arranged upon the section 1 of the car roof, and hasa limited sliding movement thereon. Also by constructing the running boards in sections, one section may be removed with one of the sections of the roof without detaching the other sections of the I at each end of the car with door openings 53, located at opposite sides of the running boards and surrounded by upwardly extending marginal flanges 54 of a door opening frame 55, but if desired the metal removed from the roof plates to form the door openings may be bent upward and constructed to form integral upwardly extendingflanges. The door opening frames are constructed of angle metal, which provides bottom attaching flanges, and the metal may be bent or formed into the shape of the door opening in any suitable manner. 'Although a square door opening is illustrated in the accompanyingydrawings, any other form which will admit of a sliding opening movement may be employed. Strips 56 of tar paper, or, other "water or weather proofing material are interposed between the attaching flanges and the roof plates, and are secured by rivets 57, or other suitable fastening devices, which fasten the door opening frames to the roof sections.

The door openings are covered by slid-' plates 62, riveted to the roof plates and similarly secured to the adj acent ends of the guide bars. The inner or rear end ofthe sliding door is split at opposite 'sides and is bent downwardto form a depending abutting flan'ge 63, which fits against the adjacent upwardly extending flange of the door opening frame, and the front end of the sliding door is equipped with a combined lock and water shield 64, consisting of a strip of angle metal having one of its flanges fitted upon the upper' face of the sliding door at the front end thereof, and hinged to the same by staples 65, or other suitable fastening means. The other flange of the combined lock and water shield depends from the front edge of the sliding door and is adapted to fit against the front upwardly extending flange of the door opening frame, and it is provided at the center with a slot 66 through which projects a horizontal staple 67. The staple '67 is mounted on the door opening frame, and it is adapted to receive an approximately L- i shaped locking member 68, provided at one end with a head and having a perforation at its other p-ortionthrough which is passed the wire of an ordinary car. seal 69, as

clearly illustrated in Fig. 17 of the drawings, but any other form of sheathing or looking devloe may be employed, as will be readily understood. The sliding door may,

I however, be equipped with fibrous or other waterproof material to provide a perfectly water tight connection when it is closed, but

the depending guide and abutting flanges and the depending flange of the combined lock and .water shield are adapted to effectually exclude water from the interior of the car. By providing openings in the roof, grain, coal, or other commodities may be loaded into the car through the roof, as

clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and the load will be distributed over cure by Letters Patent, is

1. A metallic 'car roof including roof sec-..

tions provided with an expansion joint having relatively movable overlapped portions,

one of the portions being fixed and the other being formed with an arch to span the fixed portion and having its edge extended beyond the arch and supported by and slidable on the fixed portion, said arch being spaced from said fixed portion and having a limited sliding movement. I

2. A metallic car roof including roof sec tions provided with an expansible joint composed of overlapped portions, one of the portions being fixed and provided with an upwardly extending flange andv the other portion being arched to form a hollow rib to loosely receive the said flange, and pro vided at its free edge with an approximately horizontal flange extending beyond the arch and slidably supported by the said fixed portion beyond the upwardly extending flange thereof.

3. In a metallic roofing, the combination with a carline, of a fixed roof section supported by the carline and provided with an upwardly extending flange, fastening devices piercing the roof section and the carline and rigidly securing the former to the,

latter, and a relatively movable roof section also supported by the carline and bent to form a hollow rib to receive the upwardly extending flange of the first-mentioned section and supported by the latter beyond the said'fiange. i

4:. A metallic car roof including relatively movable roof sections and provided with an expansion joint having relatively movable members, a running board composed of sections mounted upon and secured i to the roof. sections and having a joint arranged adjacent to the expansion joint and provided with relatively movable portions.

5. A metallic car roof including relatively movable sections provided with an expansion joint, one of the sections being fixed to the car at the said joint and the other section being free, a running board support secured to one of the roof sections, and a sectional running board having a joint arranged upon the said support adjacent to the expansion oint of the roof, one of thesections of the running board being fixed to the support and the other being free.

6. A metallic car roof including relatively movable sections having overlapped portions forming an expansion joint, one of the sections being fixed to the car at the said joint, a support mounted onand secured to the fixed section of the roof, a running board composed of sections corresponding with the sections of the roof and having their terminals arranged upon the said support, the running board section of the fixed roof section being secured to the support and the other running board section being movable thereon.

7. A metallic car roof including a carline constructed of channel metal and provided with a depending leg having spaced side flanges, and a supporting bracket provided with a supporting ledge receiving the leg and having an upper interlocking portion fitting between the said side flanges of the 8. A metallic car roof including a carline constructed of channel metal and provided with a depending leg or portion fitted against the side of the car and having side flanges, and a supporting bracket provided with a ledge or shoulder to receivethe leg and having an inwardly ofl set approximately U-shaped upper interlocking portion fitting between the side flanges of the depending leg or portion of the carline and holding the same against the car.

9. A metallic car roof including a carline constructed of channel metal and provided with a depending leg or portion fitted against the side of the car and having side flanges, a supporting bracket U-shaped in horizontal section and having an interlock:

ing upper portion to fit within the depending leg or portion of the carline and off-set inwardly to form a supporting shoulder at the front and provided at the sides with projecting horizontal ribs, and fastening devices piercing the bracket and the carline and securing the same to the car and maintaining them in their interlocked relation.

10. The combination with a car body, and a roof, of brackets arranged along the inner sides of the body below the roof, carlines extending transversely across the body and having their ends downturned and fitted to the said bracket, the said car roof resting upon the carlines and secured to the same and lapped over the outside of the body at the top thereof, and bolts passing through the brackets, the downturned ends of the carlines, the car body and the lapped portions of the roof.

11. l he combination of a car body, a roof, a supporting bracket secured at its lower portion to the inner side of the car body and having its upper portion offset from the body providing an intervening space and forming a supporting ledge at the bottom of the said space, and a carline supporting the roof and having a downturned end forming a leg and fitted in the space'between the upper portion of the bracket and the car body and resting upon the said ledge.

12. A metallic car roof including roof sections provided with an expansible joint composed of two overlapped portions, one of the portions being provided with an upwardly extending flange and the other portion being arched to form a hollow rib to span and loosely receive the said flange and provided at the outer side of the arch with an approximately horizontal flange extending beyond the arch and supported by the portion having the upwardly extending flange at a point beyond the latter, said portions having relative movement, one being fixed and slidably supporting the other.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my. own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILSON E. SYMONS.

Witnesses:

J. J. MCCARTHY, E. M. HADLEY. 

